Following the Brave Vesperia
by Seraphim Fantasies
Summary: The princess had not expected that chaos would ensue within the castle walls, nor did she think that she would be helped by a convicted man. But at least she knew one thing; she was now on the outside. She would count that as a success.
1. The Broken Barriers

I own nothing. Enjoy!

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 **~Chapter I: The Broken Barriers~**

* * *

 _"Our world, Terca Lumereis._

 _No one knows how far its lands and oceans stretch._

 _For the people are no match against the hordes of monsters that crawl the earth._

 _Barriers protect the cities in which we live, and we are completely dependent upon them for our survival._

 _These barriers are generated by the blastia._

 _Blastia use the primeval power of aer that fills the world..._

 _To provide us with fire, water, and light. They provide us with everything that has made the empire prosper._

 _Perhaps one day..._

 _We may even forget the threat of the viscous monsters lying in wait, just beyond the barriers._

 _The blessings of the blastia..._

 _Will bestow even more prosperity to the world and peace to its people._

 _From the imperial capital Zaphias, the bedrock of peace, we pray: May tranquility bless this world."_

 _\- Unknown Author_

* * *

The study was quiet, filled with the warm light of the midday sun. Its lone occupant sat at the desk closest to the large windows. She gave a content sigh as she finished the last line from the book lying open before her.

Her ornate blue and white dress and the styling of her pink hair showed that she was of noble standing. She smiled as she slowly closed the book, resting a hand on the aged leather as she thought on what she had read.

Standing she turned toward the large bookshelf, thinking of what book she would read next. She managed to take a step when she spied the perfect one, but she was halted by a knock at the door.

Taking a step back in surprise she watched the door, curious of what was beyond it. Hearing the knocking again, albeit a faster pace she shook her head. Steeling herself she slowly walked to the door, ready to greet her impatient guest.

Opening it she was greeted by an Imperial Knight in full armor. She shouldn't have been surprised, the Knights were the only people who came to her study. Most only to relay messages or summon her for official gatherings.

The one thing she tired of when seeing the Knights, was that they never showed their faces. The thin split in the visor the only window to tell her who it was underneath it.

Shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts she smiled as she began to speak.

"Yes Sir Knight? What brings you to my study?"

"Princess Estellise, Commandant Alexei has requested that you come to the meeting hall immediately. I am to be your escort."

The girl paused, what did the Commandant want with her? The man normally never spoke to her, only ever coming into contact with her when he accompanied a highly ranking member of the Royal Council. Quickly snapping out of such thoughts she returned her attention to the knight.

"Then please take me to the Commandant, Sir..."

"Remus milady."

"Okay Sir Remus, let's go."

* * *

The city was in ruins.

A majority of the buildings were either burned down, or reduced to nothing more than a pile of rubble. A dense mist had settled over the area, blanketing the destruction as if the world was trying to hide the hideous sight.

A group of Knights moved amongst the rubble. Their armors bloodied and beaten, each was breathing heavily as they finished off the last of the beasts that had attacked them. Several corpses of wolf like beasts lay at their feet, along with the scattered remains of livestock and people.

One lone Knight stood away from the rest, eyeing the situation with dread evident in his eyes. He ran a hand through his uneven blond hair as he watched his fellow knights recover. He almost felt sick when one seemed to pick up a severed limb of a deceased civilian.

He shook his head as he quietly sheathed his sword and began walking back to the horses. One thing seemed to plague his mind as he passed by the destroyed remains of a Blastia Shell.

"I don't get it. What could have possibly happened to this town's barrier?"

* * *

The lower quarter of Zaphias was alive with actions and movement of its citizens. Children ran through the streets playing their games while most of the adults were conversing with the vendors on the street. Those who weren't active were resting in their homes, trying to relax for tasks that they might have to do tomorrow.

One child ran by and was distracted by a comment by one of his friends. This caused him to run into a robed person that was walking towards the square. The kid backed up and looked up into the hood that hid the person's face. He seemed to be feeling uneasy when he couldn't see their eyes.

"Sorry, just playing with some friends."

With that the kid ran off, the person didn't respond as they looked towards their current destination. The robed figure made their way silently into the square. unlike most of the lower quarter, the square was empty. The only thing that seemed to be making any noise, other than the person's boots on the cobblestone, was the water that was pouring from the fountain.

The ornate fountain was seemingly made of marble, no imperfections marred its surface. The only difference in its coloration was a single blue stone, the blastia, that sat in the center of the fountain. The figure eyed the blastia as they closed the distance between them and their target. They came to the edge of the water and stepped into it without a second thought.

Wading through the water they reached the center of the fountain, eyeing the blastia. Slowly and carefully they reached out and grabbed the stone with both hands. They began pulling at the blastia, silently grunting as the stone didn't want to seem to budge from its housing. They managed some progress when they turned the orb. It made a sound and the orb slid from its housing.

The weight of the orb now felt in their hands the person smiled as they slid the blastia into their sleeve. Then, as fast as they could, they left as silently as they had arrived.

The water coming from the fountain then slowly came to a halt. This was followed by the ground shaking violently. Many of the citizens turned towards the disturbance, only to be met with the sight of a massive pillar of water exploding from the fountain. People began screaming and shouting as they tried to avoid the oncoming surge of water.

The streets were soon flooded, massive streams of water carving paths through the city streets. The citizens watched from their windows as the water raged beneath them.

The only one who didn't seemed worried was a young man sitting on his window's ledge. His long purple hair swayed in the breeze as he watched the chaos unfold with disinterest. In his room sat a dog that had blue and gray fur, it was trying to ignore the sounds coming from the city, but to no avail. The two's peace was disturbed when the young man's room door burst open.

A small child ran into the room, his clothes clung to him and his hair was laying flat against his head. If the man didn't know any better, he would have said that the boy got caught in the water. His gaze didn't waver however, even as the boy jumped up on the ledge and began pointing towards the plaza.

"Yuri! The aque blastia broke again!"

Yuri looked to the boy and chuckled at his expression, the kid was too worked up.

"Then go and get Flynn."

"I tried that already. The Knights wouldn't let me near him."

Yuri turned to look at the kid, an annoyed frown replacing his stoic expression.

"Then what, am I his replacement?"

* * *

Estellise sighed as she sat at the head of the large meeting table. She didn't know for how long she had been waiting for the Commandant, but judging by the sun, it had been a while. The princess nervously fiddled with her dress, thinking of any reason she would have been called on.

 _'...I almost never leave my study, unless you count the incident with the Mandragora...oh no, I still have to send a Get Well card to those gardeners!'_

After quickly making sure she had that noted she turned to Sir Remus. The Knight stood quietly, watching the door, waiting for Commandant Alexei. Estellise frowned, she didn't know what to say to the man, she couldn't read him. She was starting to think that she would have to ask the Commandant to change the design of the helmets, at least when they weren't in combat.

As much as she wanted to see people's faces, even she knew the practicality of having a fully covering helmet. Sighing the girl slumped back into her seat and looked up to the ceiling, she should have brought a book along. There was an interesting one that she had received for her last birthday, she could have brought that one.

Caught up in her musings on ancient tomes, Estellise didn't notice the door to the conference room slide open. Her attention only shifted when she heard the sound of heavy armor. Looking down the girl felt an eyebrow raise at the sight of another Knight. This one wore red instead of the usual green, signifying that he was of Alexei's own forces.

The Knight quickly closed the distance and stopped just short of Estellise's seat. The man bowed and began speaking in a raspy monotone.

"Lady Estellise, I am here on the behalf of Commandant Alexei. He sends his apologies as a situation has arisen that requires his immediate attention. This meeting will have to be scheduled for another time."

The man then rose and nodded towards Remus, who responded in kind. Then the Knight quickly left the room, once again leaving the two alone. Turning towards the remaining Knight Estellise voiced her thoughts.

"Shall we then return to my study?"

Remus turned towards her and gave a curt nod. Estellise smiled and then stood from her chair. Quickly the two then began their walk back.

* * *

Walking through the massive halls of the castle Estellise once again found her mind wandering. However, instead of books, her mind was now thinking of the ocean. The large body of water was glistening in the sunset. It almost brought tears to her eyes, and a question to mind. Turning towards Remus she began speaking.

"Sir Remus, do you think I'll ever be able to leave the castle and explore the world?"

"I wouldn't know milady, but I believe when you come of age you should be able to do as you wish. If I may be so bold, what brought about that question?"

"Oh, it's just that I am always reading about the world outside these walls, and yet I can never experience it on my own."

Estellise's gaze lowered, she stared at the floor with a downtrodden expression. Remus looked to her, but remained silent as he didn't want to disturb the girl. Returning his gaze forward the two continued onward in silence.

This lasted for several long minutes before the two reached the door to Estellise's study. Remus then opened the door and motioned for her to enter. Estellise gave the man a small smile before bowing.

"I thank you Sir Remus. Even though it was for a short time, I enjoyed our-"

Estellise didn't get to finish as she was cut off by a shout and what sounded like the clanging of steel. Spinning around Estellise watched as a Knight went flying by the end of the hallway. The Knight hit a wall and slid down it into a crumpled heap, a red stain left on the wall.

Estellise put her hands to her mouth to stifle a scream, her eyes widening as another Knight fell to the ground, a blade protruding from his back. Quickly Remus stepped in front of the princess as he drew his sword. It was then that the two got a look at the cause of the horrible spectacle.

Three phantoms rounded the corner and turned to face the two. Their thin bodies were draped in long black cloaks that had their hoods drawn. The only thing Estellise could see of their faces were the twin glowing red eyes. At the end of their arms were large, crooked claws that seemingly extended from the sleeve instead of an actual arm.

The phantoms neard and their movements made the princess question if the three were even human. Remus pushed her back before he rushed towards the three. His sword clashed with the claws of the closest phantom. Sparks bounced from the blades as the two tried to force the other to loose balance.

Remus seemed to quickly gain the upper hand as he managed to push back the phantom. The Knight then smashed his blade into the ground and sliced upwards. A large blue wave of energy tore along the ground and made contact with its target. The phantom shrieked, an unearthly sound as it was torn apart. The phantom fell and Estellise gave a smile, Remus got one.

The victory was short lived however as the other two phantoms rounded the Knight. One leapt at Remus, but was batted aside by the Knight's fist. The second one however, managed to score a hit to the man's side. Blood poured from the wound as Remus turned and smashed his arm into the phantom's face.

Hopping back when the second phantom fell Remus launched two more of the waves of energy, both waves struck the remaining phantoms. Their bodies vanished like the first, when the smoke cleared Remus hurried back to Estellise and grunted as he put away his sword. Estellise felt her eyes go wide as she looked to the man's bleeding side. The Knight cut her thoughts short as he placed a hand onto her shoulder.

"Milady...I need...to get you away from here."

"But Remus, you're hurt! Let me heal you!"

Estellise then quickly brought her hands together and felt the familiar pull of her energy surround her. She split her hands and reached towards the wound, but the Knight simply stopped her as he shook his head.

"I know your intentions are pure Milady, but we do not have much time."

Wincing Estellise slowly lowered her hands as the energy faded, Remus nodded as he pointed to the hallway behind them.

"Now, we need to get you to the Armory, the Knights there can-"

"FLYNN SCIFO!"

Startled by the sudden shout both looked back towards the phantom's entrance, and Estellise felt Remus's grip tighten. Walking down the hallway, not having noticed them yet, was a man wearing red. His wild hair seemingly unkempt and spiked up was the first thing that Estellise was drawn to. It was colored differently in most parts, mostly being red, there were traces of yellow and black.

The man's attire seemed to consist of nothing more than belts and a body suit. Held in his hands were two sinister looking weapons, Estellise could see blood dripping from them. Thinking quickly Remus pushed Estellise into an indent in the wall, he then turned to the man in red and drew his sword.

The man seemed to have noticed him as he turned around and tilted his head as a smile expanded. His gaze seemed crazed as he began spinning his blades around his fingers. He than started walking forward, Remus visibly tensed.

"Are you Flynn Scifo? Well, I honestly don't think that matters, I'm going to kill you anyway."

Remus acted first and launched another wave of energy, however unlike with the phantoms, the man simply made an X in the air with his blades and cut the wave apart. The energy fizzled out of existence as the man began laughing. He then hunched over and charged at the man.

Each swing the man tore through Remus, Estellise watched in horror as the Knight was dropped to the ground. The man looked over the Knight and proceeded to kick him. When he got no response, the man then turned and walked down the hallway. Calling out a name as he rounded the corner.

When she was sure the man was gone, she instantly rushed to Remus's side. Dropping to her knees she turned the Knight over and gasped. The man's body was covered in deep gashes, each worse than the last. Looking up Estellise saw that a large crack was opened in Remus's helmet.

He had green eyes.

Frowning the girl felt warm tears slide down her cheeks. She may have not known the man for long, but she still felt as if she had just lost a dear friend. Closing her eyes she lowered the man to the ground and quickly offered a quick prayer. She felt lost, not knowing what to do now. Lowering her gaze to the man's hand she noted the sword still held in it.

A determined look quickly crossed the princess's face as she leaned forward and pulled the sword from Remus's hand. She examined the intricately designed hand guard and the slender blade. Uttering a quiet apology the girl stood and picked up the sword's sheathe. Sheathing the blade she turned towards the direction that the man had told her to go, the Armory.

Taking one last look at the departed knight she turned and began running as fast as she could. She needed help, and she had been told where to find it.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed!

I have been wanting to do this for some time now. A novelization of Tales of Vesperia as told through the perspective of Estelle. However, it won't be a direct thing, as I have some really neat ideas I want to try out.

I wanted to have this chapter explain why Estelle was running when you meet her.

Had that idea when I started reading .Hack/ Another Birth. As that is a story where it is told from BlackRose's point of view.

Anyway, this will be the only full length summary in this story, as this is going to be a novelization, I wouldn't want you to sit through my ramblings.

Again, I hope you enjoy this large project.

Have a nice day!


	2. A Wandering Blade and a Plea

I own nothing. Enjoy!

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 **~Chapter II: A Wandering Sword and a Plea~**

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"Please listen to me! Flynn Scifo is in danger, you need to help him!"

Estellise was beginning to feel really exasperated as she repeated herself for the third time. She had managed to find the armory that Remus had told her of, and she tried to tell the knights what was wrong, but they didn't seem to want to listen to her. They were just sitting there, looking at her like she was raving mad.

Groaning the girl lowered her head into her hands, she was starting to feel drained as well. She was about to start screaming at them until she heard armor moving. Lifting her head she was surprised to see another one of Alexei's knights standing there. She gave him a small smile, if he was here then Alexei would soon know of it. However, when the man shook his head she felt most of her hope fade.

"Princess Estellise, there is no one in the castle aside from the royal family and the Knights. You are making no sense."

The girl then felt her shoulders drop as she just stared at the Knight. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words seemed to be caught in her throat. A movement to her side caught her attention, turning her head she saw a Knight begin to draw his sword. Her eyes widened when she realized that they were all drawing their weapons. She turned back to Alexei's Knight and spoke, her shaking voice betraying how brave she was trying to act.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I am sorry Milady, even though a Knight has died, it was not by the hands of invading forces. It is quite clear that you yourself killed the Knight."

The statement caused Estellise to gasp, she took a step back as the Knights began moving closer to her. She gripped the hilt to Remus's sword and stared at the Knight as he two drew his weapon, a halberd. The man then continued speaking as he lowered his weapon, aiming it towards her.

"I do not know why you killed the Knight, but we shall inform Commandant Alexei of this predicament."

Estellise's eyes went wide as she continued to back up. She bumped into the door to the room, she could feel her heart beat quicken as the Knights continued moving towards her. Shaking her head she closed her eyes, why didn't they listen. Why did they blame her?

Opening her eyes Estellise took one last look at the Knight in red and did the one thing she could do, she quickly threw open the door and fled. The sounds of the Knights' shouts was all she heard as she ran through the halls.

* * *

Estellise wheezed as she leaned into an indent in the wall. She had just managed to outrun the Knights that had been chasing her. Several thoughts started drifting through her head as the girl slid to the ground. Gripping her head she began to tremble.

The Knights tried to attack her, or at least arrest her, and she didn't know why. All she wanted to do was warn them of the man and the phantoms. Instead she was accused of the crime and chased through three floors. It was made even worse when she realized she was in a part of the castle she didn't recognize.

Shaking her head the girl then stood and looked out of the indent, she needed to find someone who would understand. Gritting her teeth she then had the thought that none of the Knights would listen to her. So she hastily decided to find Flynn herself, it was all she could do to keep another Knight alive.

She didn't know all that much about Flynn, as they only met and spoke a sparse number of times. Whenever they did manage to find time however, Estellise did enjoy it. She considered calling the Knight a friend, and that just motivated her even more. She wasn't going to lose another friend.

Pushing herself out of her hiding spot Estellise hurried through the halls. She took many turns and routes that seemed like no one took them. She needed to stay hidden, if the Knights found her now it would have ended badly.

Quietly making her way down a smaller hallway, Estellise started going over whatever map she knew of the castle in her head. She needed to find the living quarters of the Knights, then she would be able to find Flynn, and protect him.

The girl was halfway through the hallway before a sound caught her attention. Turning around her eyes widened at the sight of another of the phantoms making its way towards her. The phantom raised its arm and its blades extended. Estellise shook her head as she started stepping back from the phantom. When the phantom extended the blades from its other sleeve, her hands went to the hilt of Remus's sword.

"Stop, I don't want to hurt you!"

Estellise chided herself at the sound of her shaking voice, the fear she was feeling was rather evident. The phantom didn't seem to listen to her plea, as it started rushing towards her. Estellise then quickly drew her sword blocked the strike from the phantom. The apparition seemed surprised by her ability to hold it back, but she just shook her head as anger flashed in her eyes.

"I can fight!"

She didn't understand why, but anger suddenly began fueling her movements. Pushing the phantom away from her she ran towards the staggered enemy and then struck with a thrust. The blade pierced the phantom's side, but not deep enough that the phantom couldn't escape. Jumping back the phantom gripped its side as red liquid began coating its coat.

Estellise's eyes widened at that, she had assumed that the phantoms were some kind of summoned ghost brought by the man that had killed Remus, but it was a living being. She cursed her lack of foresight as she readied for another attack. The phantom, having recovered, lunged at the distracted princess. She cried out when her shoulder was struck by the being's claws.

Hissing Estellise then shifted her grip on her sword and struck the phantom again, this time the blade cut a line across its stomach. The phantom shrieked as it quickly staggered back, its arms gripping its now torn stomach. Estellise cringed as the beast then fell to the ground and stopped moving.

The fight having ended, seemingly returned the princess to her senses. She fell to her knees as the blade clattered onto the floor beside her. Whatever emotion she had felt in the fight quickly faded as the girl started trembling. She had killed it, she killed another living being. Her eyes then began to glisten as tears began to form.

"I didn't want to hurt you..."

It was then that Estellise felt something well up inside her. She felt some of her strength renewed, but there was another feeling. She then felt rather queasy as the sensation grew, her eyes then widened as it reached its peak. Quickly turning to the side the girl emptied her stomach's contents onto the floor, she placed a hand to her mouth as she tried to hold herself up with her other arm.

She didn't know what happened, or why she suddenly felt ill, but she shook her head. Wiping her mouth, the girl gripped Remus's sword and forced herself to stand. Wobbling slightly the girl shook herself as she sheathed her weapon. Taking one last look at the dead phantom she then started walking down the hall, she still had something she needed to do.

* * *

Looking back at the events of what happened today, Estellise was starting to believe she was cursed. Not long after she had killed the phantom, she had encountered some more Knights. They took one look at her before they tried to grab her, she didn't stay too long after that.

Slowing down when she reached a junction in the halls she tried her best to not double over. She was exhausted, running was not her forte. She wheezed as she grabbed at her floor length dress, the clothing was just making it harder to move. Straightening herself Estellise grimaced when she heard the sound of clanking armor. The Knights had followed her more closely than she thought.

Turning around Estellise drew her sword as the Knights closed in on her. There were only two, but she knew that they were able to take her in her exhausted state. One of the Knights started walking towards her, she moved the blade to face the man. The Knight chuckled and raised his hands.

"Come on, why don't we just head back? This is for your own good, Miss, you know this."

"No, I can't go back now!"

"If you do, then we shall assume full responsibility for this ' _incident_ ' and we will inform Commandant Alexei ourselves."

"How can you say that when you have done nothing but accuse me?"

Estellise forced herself to show anger towards the Knights, despite how exhausted she felt. She didn't understand why the Knights were suddenly bargaining with her, but she didn't like it. She just stood there, ready to strike out against the two, but she raised an eyebrow as one of the Knights just looked to his companion. They seemed to have some silent conversation, he then started to walk towards her. Estellise simply rose her blade and pointed it right at the man, she gulped down her worry as she started talking.

"Don't come any closer, please. I don't want to hurt you."

"Now, now, why don't you just drop the weapon? You would just end up hurting yourself with it."

"I know how to fight with a sword!"

Truthful as her words were, she was still rather rusty in her technique. It had been quite some time since her instructor had been to the castle. Still, she could handle herself better than they could assume. To put some credence to her threat, she spun the blade as she changed stances. The Knights took a step away from her, the Knight who had stayed quite this entire time reached for his sword.

"If you will not stop, you leave us no choice _princess_. I was hoping we wouldn't have to resort to this."

The man slowly drew his blade and raised it towards her. The second Knight looked to him as if to say the man was crazy, but he too drew his blade and raised to to her. Estellise tightened her grip on the sword's hilt as she took a step back. She was going to have to fight wasn't she? As the girl was about to make her move she was stopped by the sound of more approaching Knights. She didn't have much time to do this. As more Knights soon filled the junction she attempted to persuade them one last time.

"Please, just let me go! I have to warn Flynn!"

Ignoring her one of the Knights then lunged towards her, she raised her blade, preparing to strike. Just as she drew back her arm, a large wave of blue energy flew from behind her and hit the Knight. The first Knight hit the floor, dazed, and the energy wave continued through the small group, taking down more of the Knights. Surprised Estellise took a few steps away from the downed Knight. Cautiously she turned and felt her eyes grow wide. From the hallway behind her walked a young man with long purple hair. His black clothes were disheveled, probably meaning that the man had gotten into a few fights.

The man took one look at her and nodded as he walked towards the Knights, his sword sitting on his shoulder. He stopped between her and the remaining Knights and smiled, he then lowered his blade. The Knights were seemingly shocked by the man's sudden appearance, for they took several steps away from him.

"Identify yourself!"

The man didn't answer, he just shook his head and proceeded to chuckle as one of the Knights aimed their weapon at him. The Knights were definitely afraid of the man, something that surprised Estellise. She had never seen the Knights scared of anything.

"You know, it's funny. I honestly thought I was being sneaky, but one turn and everything goes to hell."

Estellise then watched as the man tore through the ranks of Knights with ease. His blade seemingly leaving streaks as he downed another Knight. The man then turned and launched another wave of energy that took care of most of the remaining Knights. The two Knights that were still standing jumped back and then readied their weapons.

"Careful, he definitely has a blastia!"

"It shouldn't matter if we take him at once!"

Both Knights then charged the man, thrusting with their swords. The man didn't even seemed phased by this as he turned away from them. The Knights' blades slammed into the man, and Estellise barely suppressed a gasp, she looked to the man, and frowned. The man didn't seem to be in pain, he was just frowning. The princess then saw that the man had blocked the Knights' swords with his. The man then spun around and started attacking the Knights.

Estellise just shook her head as she turned away from the battle. She was about to take off running while the Knights were distracted, but a thought stopped her. She didn't know this man, nor did she recall ever seeing him in the castle before. What if he was with that man that wanted to kill Flynn? Frowning she then sheathed her blade and quickly made her way to a vase that was sitting on a small pedestal. If that man was good with swords, then she would have to take him out by surprise.

Picking up the vase the girl started walking towards the man as he downed the last of the Knights. She saw the man shake his head as he put a hand on his hip. Taking her chance she raised the vase above her head. It was then that the man started talking.

"Don't they teach you guys manners in Knight school anymore?"

"HYAH!"

Estellise then threw the vase at the man, but to her surprise the man just sidestepped it. She now looked up at him with wide eyes, he looked to her as if she were crazy. She began to worry about what the man was going to do, but he just stared at her. Several tense and awkward moments passed before the man turned slightly and began speaking, while still giving her the same look.

"What are you trying here? Wanting to kill me?"

"I don't know who you are, and I _know_ you don't belong in the castle, right?"

"No," The man then chuckled as he sheathed his sword, "and I'll take that as a compliment that you can tell that just by looking at me."

Estellise just stared at the man, wondering why he was just standing there, laughing at her. She was wanting to voice her thoughts, but a rather loud voice cut her off.

"YURI LOWELL! WHERE ARE YOU?"

The man, possibly the Yuri the voice was yelling at, just put his hand on his hip and sighed, an amused expression crossing his face. Estellise simply looked down the hallway that the shout had come from. She didn't recognize who had said that, and she just waited as another shout sounded.

"YOU FOUL FUGITIVE! I SAY, WE KNOW YOU YOU'RE TRYING TO ESCAPE!"

"Please not those idiots again. Well, guess there's no going back to the prison cell now."

Estellise turned back to Yuri as turned to look down another hallway, her head tilting. This man was in jail? What was he doing here then? She then closed her eyes and sighed, this was getting confusing. Several thoughts went through her head, but when a specific one sped through, her eyes shot open.

"Yuri Lowell? You're the one Flynn is always talking about. Aren't you?"

Though limited, Estellise did remember the topics of conversation that she and Flynn had. More than once had the Knight had started a conversation about him, the conversations always seemed to leave Flynn exhausted though. She honestly didn't know why. The man turned back to her and nodded.

"Yes I am, why do you ask?"

"The same Yuri that used to belong to the Imperial Knights?"

"Three months to be exact. You hear that from Flynn?"

"Yes."

The man gave her a small smile as he looked off into space. He seemed to be reminiscing about something as he started talking aloud.

"So he did find someone in the castle to talk to."

Estellise then quickly moved to be in front of Yuri, the man looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. She then decided to speak fast, as she didn't know if more Knights were on the way.

"Yuri! I need to talk to Flynn."

"Hold on a sec," Yuri then took a step back from her, "just who are you supposed to be anyway? You know Flynn, but why are you being chased by the Knights?"

Estellise opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a sudden realization. She didn't know why the Knights were after her. She had assumed that it was because of a slight misunderstanding, but when the Knight had agreed to take the blame of the incident, it confused her. She then looked at Yuri and shrugged, she truly didn't know.

"OVER HERE!"

The two turned to face the hallway that the shout came from, Yuri just shook his head as he turned back to the girl.

"Okay, I would like to know the whole story, but we can't afford to stand around. First things first, let's get to Flynn's place. Do you want me to lead the way?"

Estellise smiled as she nodded, happy at the fact she was now closer to completing her task. she didn't even have to think about it as she realized she would have probably ended up lost along the way. Her photographic memory wouldn't help her with a map she had only seen a portion of. Yuri then nodded as he gestured down another hall.

"Then let's go."

Yuri then began walking and Estellise quickly followed, silently hoping she would reach Flynn soon.

* * *

The team of two proceeded quickly through the halls as Yuri lead them towards Flynn"s room. Along the way they had come across some Knights that were scouting the halls. Even though Estellise knew how to fight, she was glad that Yuri had pushed her back from the combat. She was still exhausted from the running, even though they were still doing it. Yet, despite her displeasure, she forced herself to keep going.

Upon entering the next floor Yuri dealt with another straggler. When the Knight fell a brief flash of light filled the room. Blinking several times Estellise smiled with surprise when she saw a book floating in the corner of the room. Yuri saw it as well and walked up to it, he stared at it with a confused look, but he reached for it and the book opened. Pink rings of energy swirled around the book before Yuri lowered his arm. The book then slammed shut and vanished.

"What was that?"

"A Memory Circle, basically a spell that records the memories of whoever touches it. Most of the time it is used by travelers to make sure that they don't die when exploring. Why, did you actually see it?"

"Yes, was I not supposed to?"

"Well, only a select number of people can, for some odd reason. That's why people can still die even though these are in place."

Estellise frowned at that, she didn't quite understand what Yuri was getting at with the book being able to keep one alive. Shaking her head she suddenly started to wonder if Remus could see the Memory Circle. She honestly felt even worse when she came to a conclusion. Ignoring that thought she shook herself and hurried to join Yuri as he rounded the corner.

* * *

Several more hallways, and even more flights of stairs and the two were finally standing before a door. Estellise looked to Yuri as the man pointed at the door she was standing next to.

"This is Flynn's room."

Estellise then felt excitement and relief flood through her as she turned to the door. She was almost there. If she could warn Flynn she could keep another Knight from dying. She still remembered that Yuri had told her that he was merely knocking out the Knights he fought. That certainly alleviated some of the guilt she was feeling for having to fight them. Shaking her head she reached for the handle and quickly pushed open the door. She hurried into the room as Yuri followed her.

Pausing when she entered the room, she scanned it to try and find the Knight. The room was small, large enough to hold a queen sized bed, a wardrobe, and a work desk. The walls were lined with picture frames and a coat of arms. She felt her shoulders droop when she came to the realization that Flynn wasn't here. Yuri walked ahead of her and whistled as he examined the room.

"Looks like Flynn is trying his hardest to keep this room clean. This must mean that Flynn is off gallivanting somewhere."

"Then...am I too late?"

Estellise felt worse when Yuri stated that fact. She leaned against the closest wall and sighed. That was deeply disturbing her that she possibly failed, but she kept her face neutral as best as she could. There was no need to worry Yuri. Yuri didn't seem to notice this as he reached for a book on Flynn's desk, he opened it and skimmed through a few pages. Shutting the book he then looked over his shoulder and stared right at her.

"So, what kind of wickedness did you do anyway?"

"Me?" Estellise shook her head, "I haven't done anything wrong."

"And yet a bunch of Knights are chasing you around the castle. Yeah, that makes sense..."

Estellise looked up to Yuri, her depressed thought turning quickly into ones of concern. She needed to explain her situation to him, maybe he would understand. Pushing herself away from the wall she stared right into Yuri's eyes as she began speaking, trying to hide the desperation in her voice.

"Um, you see...Yuri!"

"Whoa there...What is it?"

"I...I can't be specific, but Flynn is in terrible danger! I need to warn him."

Silently cursing herself for not telling Yuri what was actually bothering her, she did notice that she did get his attention. Yuri turned towards her and sat down on the bed, his expression was one Estellise couldn't read.

"So if you want to go, just go. What's wrong with that?"

"I honestly wish I knew."

Truthfully Estellise wanted to know who that man in red was, why he was trying to kill Flynn, and why the Knights were actually after her. Yuri nodded as he looked out the window towards the night sky, he stayed silent for several seconds before continuing.

"To be honest, I have something I need to do right away too. When things quiet down outside I need to head back to the lower quarter."

Estellise looked at Yuri, a sudden realization dawning upon her, she then hurried to the side of the bed and looked down to Yuri. The man continued to stay silent, waiting for her to speak. She then spoke quickly, hoping that the answer she was going to get was the one she needed.

"If that is the case, would you take me with you? Please? Other than Flynn, there is no one here I an depend on anymore. I'm begging you, could you help me out of the castle at least?"

She then shook the memory of Remus's corpse from her mind. She then bowed and waited patiently for Yuri's answer. The man watched her for several moments before letting out a sigh.

"Okay, I can see that you're serious about this, but can you at least tell me your name?"

Estellise looked up and smiled, she started trying to tell him her name, but she was cut off by the door suddenly flying past her. She spun around to face the now open door, her heart was beating faster with fear on what had wanted in. A quick glimpse of the intruder and she took several steps back, she could feel herself start shaking. The man in red slowly walked through the door, a wild smile splitting his face. He rolled his head to the side and turned his attention to Yuri.

"Prepare to fall victim to my blade..."

Estellise turned to Yuri, and was quite shocked to see the man was not looking at the intruder, a look of disinterest evident. The man sneered at Yuri, hunching over as he drew one of his red blades. The man then threw his arm out to the side and smashed a flower vase, all the while not breaking eye contact with Yuri. He probably did not like that the swordsman was ignoring him.

Yuri then slowly stood from the bed and turned away from the man, looking over his shoulder to keep an eye on him.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

It honestly surprised Estellise the tone of voice Yuri had towards the man. It was both scolding and mocking, it was if he was more concerned by the man's sudden entrance more than the man himself. The man shook himself as he unsheathed his other blade, a scowl was now directed towards Yuri.

"I am Zagi...The man who has been sent to end your life. Now die, Flynn Scifo!"

With that the man leaped across the room and towards Yuri, Estellise called out his name. There was a clang as Zagi's swords met Yuri's, sparks flying as the blades scrapped across Yuri's sword. Yuri then spun around and knocked Zagi away from him, an annoyed look was all he hand as he charged. Estellise could only watch as the two exchanged blows.

"You have got the wrong guy!"

"Just stand still and die."

"Really need to work on your listening skills."

Zagi again jumped at Yuri, but Yuri quickly countered with an uppercut with his sword. This caught Zagi off guard and caused him to fall to the floor with a bleeding cut across his chest. Instead of staying down Zagi just jumped right back up and smiled like a maniac at Yuri.

"Remember the name Zagi well Flynn...I am going to kill you and carve your name into my blood!"

"The hell is wrong with you?"

Zagi then rushed Yuri and began unleashing several spinning attacks, this forced Yuri onto the defensive as all he did was block the onslaught. Estellise just watched as Yuri and Zagi exchanged blows, how was Yuri not scared of the man? Every time Zagi would make a quip that made Estellise feel queasy, Yuri only responded with a sarcastic remark. The two also were able to match the other blow for blow. She even cheered when Yuri punched Zagi in the stomach, knocking the wind out of the maniac. Surprisingly however Zagi quickly rebounded and started slashing at Yuri with his blades.

Estellise's eyes widened when she saw a red light surround the blades. The man was using an Arte, and one she recognized. Zagi then jumped and tried to impale Yuri, only for him to side step it. The blades then hit the ground and the light exploded, that was _Reaper's Cross_ , an Arte typically used by mercenaries, as it was used to quickly kill targets. Shaking her head to stop herself from reciting that information she flinched when she saw Zagi kick Yuri across the room.

The man flew into the bed and seemingly broke it as evidenced by the legs giving out. Estellise's hand flew to her sword's hilt as Yuri flipped onto his feet, jumping at Zagi with several slashes. The madman then hopped back to avoid the attacks, laughing as he started twirling his blades around.

"Ah, now I feel it."

"Feel what? I'm not feeling anything over here."

"So full of confidence, yes. That's it! That's it! I feel truly alive!"

The man started laughing as he raised his head to the sky. Yuri grimaced as he then lowered his sword, the blade shining blue. Estellise knew that technique, the same that Remus used, _Azure Edge_ , she also quickly recalled what had happened when Remus had used it against the man. Some unknown emotion fueled Estellise as she rushed forward, pulling her sword fro its sheathe. Yuri then launched the wave of energy at the distracted Zagi, who stopped laughing and quickly crossed his blades.

Zagi then tore the Arte apart, in the same fashion as he had with Remus, and then he lunged forward the recovering Yuri. Everything seemed to slow for Estelle as she quickly got between the two and slashed at Zagi. Her blade met Zagi's wrist and tore it open, the man then quickly recoiled and jumped back. His smile didn't fade as he gripped his injured hand, something that Estellise was afraid of.

"What are you doing?"

"Please Yuri, let me help you!"

"No-"

"Come on and bring it! The more the merrier!"

Estellise then rushed at the man and slashed once more, aiming for Zagi's uninjured wrist. She was hoping to disable the man, but her eyes went wide as he blocked her attack with his injured arm. Spinning his arm around he then locked Estellise's sword within one of the jagged openings of his blade, locking her into place.

"Yes, keep fighting, I haven't had a fight like this in years!"

Zagi then tried to take advantage of their proximity and proceeded to slash at her. She was about to avoid it, but a wave of blue then struck Zagi's side and knocked him away from her. Estellise turned and smiled when she saw Yuri meet her, launching another Azure Edge towards Zagi. When the Arte struck it sent Zagi into the wall, almost causing him to break through it. Yuri then turned to Estellise with a frown.

"Fine, but if things get bad, run."

"The more you talk, the faster you die Flynn!"

"Damn it, I am not Flynn!"

Estellise then nodded as she rushed towards Zagi as the man pulled himself from the wall. He dropped down to the ground and again crossed his blades, but instead of performing the Reaper's Cross, he then jumped towards her as violet energy swirled around him. This was known as _Cyclone Shot_ , and Estellise didn't understand how she didn't see that. The attack slammed into her and launched her into the air. Bits of fabric and blood filled the air as Zagi landed, he then dashed forward and vanished as Estellise hit the ground. Yuri then got hit by a suddenly reappearing Zagi, the man quickly recovered from his _Falling Leaf_ , and charged up another Arte.

Pushing herself off of the floor Estellise saw a dazed Yuri get hit by a barrage of attacks. The Arte, _Four Hit Charge_ , forced Yuri to the ground as Zagi cackled. Gritting her teeth Estellise focused her energy as a Spell Field formed under her. Lights gathered around her as she then moved her hand towards Yuri. Streamers of light circled him, his wounds quickly vanishing. Renewed Yuri jumped up and cut Zagi across the chest once more, the surprised man fell back as he gripped his chest. Getting back on her feet Estellise ran forward and attempted a finishing blow against Zagi.

However, the man just spun out of her range and jumped to the door, he then turned and gave the two a smile. Estellise was more disturbed by it than any of his previous ones. He then pointed his blade towards Yuri once more. Yuri just stood there, his annoyed expression turning quickly to anger.

"I am not Flynn, I keep telling you you have the wrong guy! Seriously, aren't people like you supposed to know this stuff?"

"He is _not_ Flynn!"

No matter if Zagi was after Flynn or not, Estellise didn't want the man to keep attacking out of a simple misunderstanding. She was starting to feel drained once again, a quick look towards Yuri told her he was feeling the same, but Zagi still seemed like he was raring to go. Zagi just hunched over and started spinning his blades again.

"Details, details. Bring it!"

Even though Zagi looked ready to go into another frenzy, he was halted by another one of the phantoms gliding through the door. Estellise took a step back as it turned its gaze upon Zagi, it began speaking in a whisper.

 _"Zagi...the Knights are on to us...we are leaving...would you want your fun to end here?"_

There was a look of pure rage that took hold of Zag. The man then quickly spun around and cut the phantom in two. The phantom screeched and exploded into a purple haze as Zagi stood straight up. He then started walking out the door, but not before turning and giving Yuri a knowing, and _sane_ smile. Then then man was gone and Estellise fell to her knees, her exhaustion taking hold. The two waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity before Yuri walked over to Estellise. He pulled her up and looked towards the door.

"We should be getting a move on, too. We just need to pay a quick visit to the goddess and be on our way."

With that Yuri started towards the door, he was almost out of the room before Estellise stopped him by calling his name. Yuri then turned towards her with a curious expression.

"Yeah, I know. We'll stick together until we are out of the castle."

"Oh. Yes, but I was going to tell you, my name is Estellise."

"Well then Estellise, let's get moving."

Yuri turned and made to leave, but Estellise quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back inside. He turned to look at her, but she turned and pointed at the door that was leaning against the wall.

"We can't just leave the door like that."

"I really don't think this is the time to be worrying about something like that."

"But..."

Estellise looked to Yuri with a pout, she didn't want to be rude and just leave the door off of its hinges. That would leave Flynn's room exposed to anyone who would be walking down the hallway. And considering that the room was a mess, it would cover their tracks. Yuri must have realized this as well for he just sighed.

"Fine, just give me a minute."

* * *

Several minutes later the two stood before the newly repaired door, Estellise was smiling while Yuri put his tool pouch back in his pocket. The man then turned and gave a tired look to Estellise.

"There, good as new. Now let's get going."

"Oh...Okay!"

Yuri then nodded and started walking down the hall, Estellise took one last look at the door before hurrying after him.

* * *

The two soon found themselves walking onto a walkway that sat above the main entrance hall of the castle. There were shouts and the sounds of blades clashing as a small army of Knights fought the phantoms. Yuri looked down into the conflict and grimaced when he saw a familiar shade of red rushing towards the castle's entrance. He sighed as he put a hand to his head.

"They better not try and pin this on me too."

"I hope no one was hurt."

"Please," Yuri waved his hand dismissively, "the Knights can fight for themselves."

"Yes...I guess so..."

"YURI LOWELL! WHERE ARE YOU HIDING"

Estellise moved to the railing and looked down into the crowd of Knights. Who kept yelling that? It was as if Yuri had known what she was thinking, as he started speaking.

"That must be Leblanc. I recognize those dulcet tones anywhere."

"Do the two of you know each other?"

"We have a bit of a history...Come on, let's hurry."

Yuri then started towards a door and Estellise tried to follow, but she was suddenly tripped by her dress. She sat there wondering why only now this happened, while Yuri turned and gave her a worried look.

"We should do something about your clothes. You'll stick out like a sore thumb otherwise."

"My room is up ahead, I have a change of clothes there."

"That'll work."

Yuri then waited for Estellise to stand before the two walked in the direction that she had pointed out. The princess took one last look towards the fighting Knights before they exited into another hallway.

* * *

It didn't take long for the two to find Estellise's room, or more her study, which also had a room she had to remind herself. She didn't have a single clue on how the two managed to walk in a complete circle from where she started. She ignored these thoughts however as she saw a familiar bloodstain on the floor. Remus's body was gone, possibly having dissolved during her run. She hurried towards it when something glistened in the blood. reaching down she pulled out a golden bracelet with a green gem at its center. It was Remus's blastia.

Standing up the girl hurried to her door, hoping Yuri didn't notice what she had grabbed. She motioned towards the white and gold door as the man stopped next to it.

"This is my room. I'll get changed, just give me a minute."

"Good, just be quick about it."

Nodding Estell turned and opened the door, walking through the threshold she closed it and quickly placed her sword next to the door. She guessed that Yuri wouldn't peek, but she just had to be sure. Walking across the room Estellise came to a door and opened it, she then entered her room. Walking to her wardrobe she passed by her mirror and paused. One look at herself and she was starting to see why she was given such looks by the Knights. Her hair was disheveled and her dress was torn in places, there was also blood that she knew came from Remus.

Shaking her head she quickly opened the wardrobe and pulled out her new clothes. Not wasting time she pulled off her dress and started puling her new outfit together. Violet leggings and white heeled boots, a white dress that was shorter than her previous one covered her. She smiled at how poofy it was as she pulled on a pair of white gloves. Turning to the bed she reached towards her dress and picked up Remus's blastia. She looked at it for a few seconds before she clasped it around her wrist.

Smiling when she was finished she walked to her mirror and looked at herself. She frowned slightly as she then reached for the clip at the back of her head. Pulling it off she let her hair fall, and Estellise liked this look. Nodding that she was now ready she hurried to the door and grabbed her sword before exiting.

* * *

Another chapter complete.

Have a nice day!


	3. The Sign of Victory

I own nothing. Enjoy!

* * *

 **~Chapter III: The Sign of Victory~**

* * *

"Alright, alright..."

Estellise grimaced as more Knights charged toward her and Yuri. She was starting to feel exhausted, but she pushed herself to continue when it came to fights. Currently a Knight wielding a spear rushed past Yuri, who had his hands full with a sword wielder, and aimed his weapon directly at her.

She spun around the spear and the man rushed past her, recovering she aimed a few slashes at the man's back. He faltered and fell to the floor as a blue ring exploded out of him. She honestly didn't know what the ring was, but if what Yuri had said was true, it was the Memory Circle shielding the opponent.

When her opponent fell Estellise rushed towards Yuri as the sword Knight pushed him back. As much of a skilled swordsman that Yuri was, he must have been reaching his limit as well. Sliding to a halt Estellise called forth the remaining amount of her power and cast her _First Aid_ arte. The streamers enveloped Yuri, rejuvenating the man enough to finish the Knight. When all was said and done Estellise fell to her knees and began panting heavily.

"I...don't think...I can move anymore..."

She tried her best to form a coherent thought between breaths, but it seemed talking was only making it worse. Yuri, after picking up something called Gald from the fallen Knights, walked over and sat down next to her. The man began scrounging around in his pockets as Estellise leaned back against the wall. She began thinking of why they seemed to be getting nowhere with their movements, they just kept ending up in dead ends with more Knights.

She was starting to think Yuri didn't know the layout of the castle at all. And even despite her tiredness, she couldn't stop herself from voicing her thoughts.

"Yuri...even though you were a Knight, you don't seem to know where you're going. Are you an imposter?"

The princess's eyes went wide as she turned to Yuri. That last part wasn't intended to be said out loud, but it slipped. She didn't want to seem rude to the man, but one smirk from Yuri made her raise an eyebrow.

"You said Flynn told you about me, that should have included what I looked like. And besides, why would anyone imitate a random guy from the lower quarter?"

Estellise then sighed as she relaxed, what he said held truth. It would be extremely improbable for an intruder to claim to be someone they never met. Yet she was still weary, she didn't know who that Zagi person brought with him. Her thoughts were interrupted by Yuri tapping her shoulder.

"You live in this castle, what's your excuse for not knowing your way around?"

"I have only been outside of my study for specific occasions. I was never given a full map to memorize."

One of the things Estellise prided herself on was her near perfect photographic memory. Any time she had nothing to do, and couldn't access her books, she would simply recall what was on the pages. She also found it irritating that a map was _not_ among those pages. As many books as she spirited from the Royal Library, and none of them had schematics.

Yuri nodded at her answer as he pulled something out of a pouch in his shirt pocket. It was a small orange jello-like substance that was in the shape of a small oval. Estellise watched as the man popped the object into his mouth. An eyebrow raised as Yuri quickly chewed and swallowed it. Rocking back Yuri then jumped to his feet. It was like he had his energy renewed.

Yuri then turned to her and tossed another one of the objects to her. She caught it and held it between her fingers, squeezing it lightly as she examined it.

"What's this?"

"An Orange Gel, eat it. You'll get some of your strength back."

Estellise felt her eyes narrow as she closely examined the Gel. Quickly deciding to just eat it like Yuri had, the girl popped the Gel into her mouth. As she began chewing a wave of orange flavoring filled her mouth. The girl shivered as she swallowed the Gel, she didn't particularly like oranges, but she didn't get to complain as she felt energy return to her muscles.

Standing Estellise nodded, Yuri chuckled as he put his pouch back into his shirt. The two then resumed their excursion through the castle.

"You know, it almost looked as if I was going to have to feed it to you myself."

"It wouldn't have come to that, I was just weary of because I have never seen a Gel before."

"Man, aren't you a bit too sheltered, even for a noble?"

* * *

The pair finally seemed to have made some progress, they entered a room with a statue of an angel holding a sinister sword in her arms. Estellise only stared at the angel statue as Yuri began examining its base.

"It seems that the old man was right, there was a goddess statue. Now what to do with it?"

"Well, maybe there is a secret passage underneath it? All we would have to do is move it."

Estellise knew that sounded childish, coming from an old fairy tale she read when she was young. When Yuri looked at her, she was beginning to think the man was going to start laughing. Instead however, Yuri simply shrugged and grabbed a fixture that stuck out on the statue's side. He then gave a tug and to both of their surprises, the statue moved.

A section of the floor sank as the statue was moved, Yuri letting it go when it clicked into place. The two then looked at where the statue once sat, and were quite surprised to see a square hole in the floor. Leaning over Estellise caught a glimpse of a ladder descending into the darkness. She felt her heart jump in excitement.

"Well, can't be sure if this leads outside the castle, but it's worth a shot."

Yuri then walked past her, going towards the ladder, but a quick glimpse at the man's left arm made Estellise grab it. Yuri turned around and gave the girl a questioning look, but she ignored him as she inspected his wrist. There was a jagged cut that stretched from his wrist to the back of his hand. Quickly gathering her energy she forced her arte directly into the wound.

The streamers surrounded Yuri's hand and sunk into the wound, causing it to glow white before the skin started closing up. When the task was done Estellise gave Yuri a smile, one he didn't rerurn. Instead as she lowered her hands he grabbed the one that Remus's blastia was wrapped around. His grip was strong, so much so that she couldn't get her hand free.

"Yuri, what's wrong with you?"

"Huh," Yuri blinked as he looked towards her; "oh, sorry, I've just never seen a blastia like that before."

Estellise pulled back her hand and took a step back from Yuri. He gave her an apologetic look as she frowned.

"Are you sure that is all it was?"

"Yeah, won't happen again."

Estellise's frown didn't falter as she then walked to the ladder, she gave one look to Yuri before taking a step onto it. She found it hard to be angry when thoughts of getting out of the castle started swimming through her head. She quickly turned from Yuri, not wanting him to see her frown fade.

She was still mad at him.

* * *

Estellise tilted her head as she examined the surrounding area, Yuri quickly dropping down next to her. The two examined the area and to their surprise it seemed that they landed in a storage area. Estellise's head tilted as she examined the ancient walls of the chamber.

If the state of the walls and floor were anything to go by, this chamber was rather old. Shaking her head Estellise made a mental note to find the nearest blueprints for the castle, she hated not knowing everything she could.

Taking a step forward, the sounds of splashing water filled the room. Looking down the princess noticed that the section they stood on was covered in water. Why there was water in the chamber given its location in the castle confused the girl.

She was about to move closer to the edge to look at the water, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked back to Yuri as the man glared at something in the distance. Turning her head to try and find what he was looking at she gasped at the sight of twenty white dots. The dots seemed to move closer as Yuri drew his sword.

"Great, there are monsters here. Did you know about this?"

Estellise shook her head as she drew her sword as well, she and Yuri then waited as the dots closed the distance. The first monster to leave the shadows was a round ball that resembled a rat. It opened its fanged mouth and hissed as more of its kind broke away from the darkness.

"What should we do Yuri?"

"Fight, they're small, so they shouldn't be too difficult."

Estellise nodded as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn't know why, but these creatures scared her more than the knights, and she didn't know why. Was it because they seemed almost unnatural, or was it that these beasts wouldn't hold back like the Knights?

"Look out!"

Estellise's mind returned to the battle just fast enough to see one of the rats leaping towards her. Gritting her teeth and shifting her grip on her sword she swung at the monster. The sword connected with the hinge of its jaw and proceeded to shear the beast in half. The insides of the monster were an deep purple with glowing yellow lights. She watched as the halves exploded into purple smoke before she aimed at another monster.

A few monsters made it past her and started charging towards Yuri. The swordsman almost seemd amused when the rats rolled up into balls and flung themselves at him. Instead of swinging his sword, the man simply pulled his fist back and punched the beast. His hand was covered in a blue flame as the beast exploded.

Estellise recalled that to be an arte made for pushing away opponents in close quarters, _Cerberus Strike._ She smiled a little as she realized that Yuri probably had more artes than a typical Knight.

She was wondering if she could get him to teach her some.

* * *

Estellise rocked back and forth as she waited for Yuri to open a chest. The two's excursion through the waterway had yielded several abandoned treasures that Yuri took to opening. His reasoning being that if it had been abandoned then it was up for grabs.

Usually the girl would have protested such thinking, but seeing as one of the treasures they acquired had been her new cape, she decided to let the subject go for now. She pulled the edges tighter as if to emphasize that thought to herself.

"I need to thank whoever told you about this passage under the castle."

"And why would you need to do that?"

"I'm trying to get out too you know."

Yuri just shook his head as he popped the chest open, quickly reaching inside he pulled out what looked to be a magnifying glass. He pocketed the trinket as he turned to Estellise.

"That nice and all, but those types of manners aren't usually used for strangers."

"If that person is not yet acquainted, then it is even more important."

"Didn't you try and hit me with a vase?"

* * *

The two explorers had reached a dead end with a long ladder rising to the surface. Estellise huffed as she and Yuri pushed some crates out of the way. With their task complete the girl could feel her eagerness return as she eyed the ladder. She was almost outside, and one step closer to assisting Flynn.

"So, I don't know where this is going to lead, stick behind me in case of more Knights."

Estellise nodded, she was starting to once again feel exhausted from the encounters with the rats and the use of her arte, even when Yuri said he was fine. She would never be sure around rats, they could have had rabies. So, the order to stay close meant that she wouldn't have to fight much if they had to, reserve stamina for healing.

The girl then watched as Yuri grabbed onto the metal ladder and begin climbing. After he was a few feet above her Estellise quickly walked over to the ladder and began climbing as well.

* * *

The first thing Estellise got to experience when she pulled herself out of the gound, was the burning light of a midday sun. Having spent so much time in the waterway she and Yuri stumbled around for a bit, waiting fror their eyesight to clear. Being the one to exit first Yuri's eyes adjusted quickly, allowing the man to look around.

"Huh, it would seem that exit led to the royal quarter."

Estellise blinked her eyes a few more times before she could see clearly. Quickly scanning the area she found that the two were in the middle of a mansion's courtyard. She smiled as the breeze washed over her.

"It seems like I wasted an entire night in there."

"This is so much more beautiful than being seen from the castle's windows."

Yuri turned to the girl as Estellise wandered towards a group of flowers. She picked one that she had never seen before and sniffed it. She giggled a little as the pollen tickled her nose. Yuri just watched and chuckled as she picked another one.

"Come on, you act like this is your first time out of the castle."

"Well, um...I..."

Yuri frowned a bit as the Estellise turned towards him. She had an embarrassed look on her face, this made him sigh.

"Well, I suppose someone like you couldn't just take a stroll outside whenever she wanted."

"Exactly."

Estellise watched as Yuri's smile returned, he moved closer and raised his hand. She eyed it, but didn't let confusion show on her face.

"At least we got you out of the castle, right?"

Estellise nodded and raised a hand as well, but instead of copying Yuri's hand, she poked the center of his palm with her finger. The gesture must have been hilarious as Yuri began laughing. Estellise then quickly pulled her hand back as she watched the man.

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

Yuri just shook his head and waved his hand. Estellise waited for the man to calm down, inwardly she fumed, she didn't like being laughed at. When Yuri caught his breath, he began talking.

"So Estellise, what do you plan on doing now that you're out?"

"I need to find Flynn."

"Do you have any idea on where he might be?"

Estellise paused as she thought on that, trying to pull something out of the last conversation they had.

"He said he would be going on a knight's pilgramage. So, traditionally they stop in Halure first, I'd start there."

"That would mean you would be going outside the barrier."

"Have you ever been outside?"

Yuri nodded and Estellise started feeling excitement course through her once more. She looked up to the sky and at the rings for the city's barrier. She would never allow herself to think on it, but the attack on the castle had given her what she wanted. Estellise hand unconsciously shifted to her sword, which Yuri took notice of.

"So, the way out of the city is through the lower quarter. I'll show you the way."

"Oh that would be wonderful, thank you."

Yuri nodded as he began walking, the man sighed as Estellise ran ahead of him. He muttered something that sounded like _'excitable nobles'_ before chasing after her.

* * *

The duo quickly made it to a lower section of the city, one that Estellise hadn't seen before. Her windows only looked out to other parts of the castle, so the new scenery was exciting. She bounced around the storefronts and through the crowds with Yuri following closely. The swordsman had a knowing smirk as the girl began talking to a street vendor.

"Come on, I need to hurry back to the lower quarter."

Estellise turned towards him with a painting in hand, Yuri looked like he was about to ask where it came from, but a shout stopped him.

"I say! Stop Fugitive!"

"The jig is up!"

Estellise turned towards the origin of the noise and saw something that caused her to raise an eyebrow. There were three men in Knight uniforms, yet only one actually looked like a Knight. The tallest in the group was spindly and had a crooked moustache. The man's beady eyes and swollen lips bothered her.

The second and third of the group at least looked like people, except one was incredibly short. The man that stood behind the spindly monster and the short Knights was a large man. His decorations made him out to be a lieutenant. The man probably had been yelling recently, for his face was red. She could swear she could see a vein pulsing.

That could not have been healthy.

"What are we going to do Yuri?"

She turned towards the swordsman to see him smiling, almost as if he was holding back a laugh. Yuri then walked past her and bent over. He picked up a rock and pulled his hand back.

"Well I'm going to do this."

Estellise then watched as Yuri tossed the rock, it vanished from her vision as it left his hand. She then heard the banging of metal and pained grunts. Turning to the knights she saw that two of them were now on the ground. She then felt a hand grab hers' turning she saw Yuri run past as the man began pulling her. She quickly complied and the two ran as fast as they could.

* * *

Crossing a bridges and going down a few slopes the two found themselves in the lower quarter. Estellise wheezed as she walked ahead of Yuri. She knew she wasn't out of shape, she thanked sword training for that, but this much running was getting to her. Yuri on the other hand looked just fine, and she was wondering how.

"Yuri, where have you been?"

"Oh, well Hanks I got an invitation to the castle. Had the loveliest of times."

Estellise turned to see who Yuri was talking to. It was an old man with spiked grey hair and slightly bent glasses. The two were talking and Yuri just laughed as Hanks started fuming. Hanks then turned to Estellise and gave Yuri a bizarre look.

"Who's the girl?"

Estellise quickly bowed to the man and then straightened herself with a smile.

"My name is Estellise."

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine Miss."

Hanks then quickly bowed, when he stood he returned his attention to Yuri. The two began talking as Estellise walked towards the fountain that sat behind the man. She looked down and saw that there were rocks placed in the water. Looking up she looked at the blastia shell that sat at the fountain's center. The blastia core was missing.

Looking around Estellise watched several of the people who were walking around the area. Most of them wore clothes that looked drenched. Shifting her gaze to the surrounding area she saw residual puddles dotting the area. Returning her attention to the blastia questions started floating through her head.

Had the blastia gone out of control? She certainly never heard of that happening before.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a familiar shouting filled the air.

"YURI LOWELL! You gave my men nasty headaches. Do the smart thing and turn yourself in!"

Turning around Estellise saw the commanding officer of the two Knights from earlier. She took a step back, soon finding Yuri next to her. Hanks gave the two a smile as he gave a silent signal. Estellise then saw every person around the fountain discreetly getting ready.

"Never a dull moment when Yuri is around. Take care of yourself Yuri, I don't want to hear that you died in some ditch."

"Well, looks like I'm not coming back for a while. Take care Hanks, don't party too much."

The old man then laughed as he turned and began walking towards the Knight. He then raised a hand into the air and the citizens began swarming the Knight. Estellise smiled as she turned to Yuri, the man just raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"They must really care about you if they are doing this."

"No, they are just happy to finally be rid of me."

The two turned and began to run, but they too were swarmed by people. Estellise didn't know what was happening but she felt as if she was being carried off somewhere. Looking over to Yuri she saw several people in the crowd hand him supplier. A woman then looked down at her with a smile.

"Don't worry about Yuri Miss. He may not seem like it, but he is a nice guy."

Estellise quickly nodded as the group that had carried them dispersed. They were at the entrance to the city. Yuri had a weird look to him as he reached into his shirt, he then pulled out a coin pouch.

"Hey, who put money in here, I can't accept this."

He turned to walk back into the crowd, but a shout from the Knight made him pause. He shook his head and put it in his pocket as he hurried up to Estellise. Turning towards the crowd Estellise saw the Knight pull free of the bulk of the crowd. She was about to call out to Yuri, but a blue and grey dog leapt from the crowd and tackled the man to the ground.

The dog then quickly hurried up to them and gave Estellise a bored gaze. Yuri chuckled as he leaned down to scratch the dog on the head.

"There you are Repede."

"Is he your dog?"

Yuri nodded as he stood up, turning towards Estellise with a smile.

"From here we go to Deidon Hold. Now I don't know how long we'll be traveling together, but let's do our best Estelle."

"Yes I...Est...elle? Estelle. Okay Yuri, let's go!"

The trio then turned back to the city. Estellise waved excitedly as the group left the city gates.

A quick thought on the nickname Yuri gave her made her smile. She had once read that people give friends nicknames, and if he gave her one that meant they were now friends. She then decided to use that name as long as she was able.

The newly christened Estelle laughed as she ran.

* * *

Another chapter complete. I hope you enjoyed.

Have a nice day!


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